- Date
- May 16, 2010, 19:45 local (May 17, 2010, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Milica, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N124SNNelson Steven Paul WAG-AEROSPORTSMAN2+2
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report October 21, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100516004929A
- Case key
- 76029
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's inadequate in-flight fuel management.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot, he and his passenger had flown for approximately 1.5 hours before returning to his airport for landing. Prior to landing, the pilot became distracted by another aircraft within the vicinity of the airport and he forgot to switch to "both" tanks on the fuel selector. During the landing, the airplane bounced and the pilot executed a go-around in order to perform "a better landing." While executing the go-around the engine lost power. The pilot attempted to land on the remaining runway; however, the airplane touched down in a field and the left main landing gear collapsed. The pilot reported that he forgot to switch fuel tanks during the flight and that was the reason the engine lost power. Examination of the airplane revealed the left main wing spar was bent.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he and his passenger had flown for approximately 1.5 hours prior to returning to his airport for landing. Prior to landing, the pilot became distracted by other aircraft within the vicinity of the airport and "[the pilot] forgot to switch to 'both' [tanks] on the fuel selector." During the landing, the airplane bounced and the pilot executed a go-around in order to perform "a better landing." While executing a go-around, the engine lost power. The pilot attempted to land on the remaining runway; however, the airplane touched down in a field and the left main landing gear collapsed. The pilot reported that he forgot to switch fuel tanks during the flight and that was the reason the engine lost power. Examination of the airplane revealed the left main wing spar was bent.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N124SN
- Reported as
- Nelson Steven Paul WAG-AEROSPORTSMAN2+2
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- WA 674 SN
- Airframe hours
- 60
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Nelson Steven P
- Registered owner
- Nelson Steven P
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 18, 2009
- Departed
- 18Y · Milica, MN
- Destination
- 18Y · Milica, MN
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 9, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 398 total · 60 in this make and model · 349 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 9, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 578 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.